Even 'healthy' weight gain raises pregnancy diabetes risk
"Women with only a small weight gain each year (1.5 to 2.5 per cent of body weight) doubled their risk of gestational diabetes," Mr Adane said. "Surprisingly, even women who were underweight or in the normal BMI range had an increased risk of gestational diabetes when they gained weight -- even if they remained within the healthy weight category. "Women with small weight gains within the healthy BMI range doubled their risk of g estational diabetes compared to women whose weight remained stable." Obesity is a known risk factor for gestational diabetes, which can lead to large babies, birth complications and long-term health risks for mothers and children. Mr Adane said researchers set out to see what impact weight change had in the years leading up to pregnancy . They tracked more than 3000 participants from the Women's Health Australia study (also known as the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health). The women, aged between 18 an...